Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale is a unique hybridization of two well-known beer styles, combining the rich, voluptuous taste of a traditional barleywine with the subtle, tart flavors of an American wheat ale, topped off with a healthy dose of crisp, herbaceous hops.

Appearance: Hazy brick red pour with a low white head. Head retention is poor and quickly fades and rings the glass nicely. Floaties noted in the glass...appears to be hops.

Flavor: Firm earthy bitterness up front with rich caramel flavors. Caramel and candied orange flavor continues to be assertive as it warms. Balance is to the firm American hoppy bitterness. Finish is clean and dry. Aftertaste lingers with leafy American citrus hop bitterness.

Overall, rock solid - normally a stout drinker, but stepping into the world of other strong beers, the high ABV really helps pull this together. Notes of dates & raisins on the aftertaste (really carrying a good barleywine flavor there) with the lighter notes of wheat. Balanced well - hops stay where they should be (complimenting the malt, but not standing out too strongly.) (379 characters)

Enjoyed from a growler in a Rhinegeist snifter. The beefy ale pours a luminous orange with an off white head that dissipates to a thin pool and ring with light lacing. Nose of apricots, moderately strong astringent grain alcohol, sweet malts, and light bittering hops. Flavors are sweet malts on all sides with a heavy grain taste to the rear mingling with bittering hops and a chardonnay like quality. A more pronounced peach and apricot flavor comes through with warmth. A mild bitterness shines through on the aftertaste giving this wheat wine balance. Smooth moderate carbonation makes it easy to drink despite the relatively high alcohol. Very nice.

Sight- Raw sienna with orangey hues. Big beige head that recedes to a thin, caldera-like cap. Lacing leaves thick bands full of tiny pockmarks. Chill haze is present and settled, spread out on the bottom and sides of my glass.

Smell- Malty sweetness, a hint of hops. I also get a touch of fruit, but unsure of which one. Alcohol also present, but subtle for an almost 11% brew.

Taste- There is a definite malty sweetness here, balanced against a solid but not overpowering piney hops partner. At a cool temperature the alcohol is masked. As it warms, I’m sure it says “hello” with more confidence. I also get a woody dryness, sort of like the Lukcy Basartd I reviewed last week. Is there a touch of rye-like sour/spice, or is it just me?

Feel- It’s a full-figured woman of a beer (plenty of body). Medium or medium-plus coating, nice amount of carbonation.

Overall- Not as abrasive as its mainstream cousin, the American barleywine, but VERY nice to drink on a chilly November in NWNJ. (1,047 characters)

On tap at Funcks in Palmyra, PA, part of a flight, 4.5ozs. First experience with this style.

Very hazy coppery color, thin white head. Sweetness, malt, faint alcohol on the nose. Mixture of malt sweetness and warmth in the flavor. Similar to an English Barleywine in feel, but softer, less fruit, and alcohol hidden a little better.

Overall, and enjoyable experience. Will get the larger serving next time. (409 characters)

A: Pours a clear apricot/dark cooper with only a sliver of light tan head that dissipates almost imediately and leaves effectively zero lacing. It looks like a bourbon or some other spirit as it sits in the glass. Very pretty color though.

S: Lots of sweetness with candied sugar and vinous fruits. There is also a tart, apple-like component; in a way its reminiscent of apple cider. Some booze, a bit of caramel/toffee. Its very unique but I really dig it.

T: Like the nose its sweetness forward, with candied sugar and caramel/toffee. There are also some hop characters including citrus rind and bitterness. Some burnt, almost char-like characters. Flavor is more traditional barleywine-esque than the aroma. Again, I like it a lot.

M/D: Full bodied, carbonation very low but it actually works well for this particular beer that almost drinks like a spirit. Gives a whole body warming sensation. ABV is present but not overwhelming, and its not hot at all. Drinkability is good.

O: Overall, I was a big fan of this one. The price was great too. I plan to buy a few more of these. (1,130 characters)

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Small chunks of sediment are seen floating around in the beer after the pour. Smell is of malt, wheat, caramel, toffee, wood, and alcohol aromas. Taste is much the same with slightly sour wheat, caramel, and wood flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop and wood bitterness and an alcohol kick on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with a unique tartness in the flavor that I am not sure I have experienced in other beers of the same style. (759 characters)

A: Pours a dark red with a tall, fizzy and kinda soapy-looking head. Lacing is also soapy but fades along with the head, leaving almost nothing behind. Decent retention at least.

S: Unsurprisingly, a heavy wheaty character. A bit of oak? Don't really get much else past that, very simple.

T: Hmph, more of the same. Heavy, heavy wheat from start to finish. A little herbal up front. A little oaky in the middle. A hearty, toasted bread in the middle and finish. The aftertaste is all herbal hops with a spicy, toasted bread.

M: Medium-heavy body. Lighter on the carbonation. A touch spicy.

O: Interesting wheatwine. The herbal hops and the heavy breadiness makes me think this is like a triple ESB or something along those lines. Lots of hearty, wheaty bread and herbal hops throughout. Honestly I enjoyed it. It's a bit simple but almost no wheatwines aren't. (891 characters)

2014: (10.8%) Pours a clear red tinted orange with thin but dense cream colored head that settles quickly to a thin ring. Not much lace can stick, but leggy. Smell: huge fruity and caramel aromas... sweet grape juice, plum skin, cherry. Slightly spicy and herbal hop coming through. Taste: date, cherry, orange liquor... biting into a sugary juicy black plum, then into booze, herbal pops from hopping (and maybe oak...was that used in the last edition?), and a lightening "crispness" from wheat. Drying finish, full bodied, fine carb -- maybe it would be better with less? (Feel-wise, fits more into weizenbock-y than barleywine-y). More depth than I remember from 2010, though I'm drinking this one a bit fresher.

Been in the fridge a long time. No idea why I bought it. Combo of wheat and barley wine; obviously incompatible. Patriot game on, might as well do this beer. Unexpectedly (which is always the the best) one of the best beer experiences I've had. ABV over 10. Too much under the influence to rate higher than 4.25. Thank you Smuttynose! (334 characters)

A: Pours a clear medium amber in color with moderate to heavy amounts of visible carbonation and some copper highlights. The beer has a finger tall dense foamy medium tan head that reduces to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of toffee and caramel malt sweetness with a touch of booze.

T: Upfront there are moderate to strong flavors of toffee and caramel malty sweetness with light amounts of dark fruit (raisin) and moderate flavors of pine hops. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish that fades quickly.

2013 Vintage. Poured from a bomber into a snifter, the beer is a bright, rose-amber coloring with a thin, frothy, off-white head that disappears rather quickly after the pour. Aromas of toasted grains, booze, tangy sweet caramel and toffee. Smells sweet and rich. Flavors are very rich and a bit boozey. Caramel rich and roasted backbone, which is overpowered by the sweetness of the palate. Some subtle spicing at the end of the palate helps clean everything up a bit. Peppery and slightly bitter hops profile. Smooth, robust feel in mouth. The aftertaste is a rich, sweet blend of booze and toffee, leading to a rich, slick, lingering finish. Heavy brew, with a robust talent. Tasty, but big. (694 characters)

App- Was more along the lines of a American Barleywine with a deep and rusty looking orange. When this poured out, it had a good amount of bubbles, but didnt have a any cling lines. The beer itself, was a bit glowing orange with a bit of a darker center.

Smell- American barleywine is all I got on this one. More of a thick nose but didnt carry the booze notes either. The aromas are of deep hops and a bit bitter. A large amount of fermenting oranges is there with only a touch of balance and malts behind it.

Drink- Its a nice beer, but I was really thinking it would have more of that citra hops tropical balance that say Harvest dance had or not being BBA more of a flavor akin to White Chocolate from the Bruery. I liked the hops and the malt balance but needed more to it. A nice flavor but a bit too citrus zest forward.

Mouth- A nice and solid medium body with a medium carbonation level. A bit creamy and a bit malty on the finish. A little bit of pepper as well but not unpleasant.

Drink- It was flavorful and pretty good, just wanted more. I like what Smuttynose does. (1,144 characters)

S – Caramel malt along with some appreciable wheat, grapes, figs, cherries, some peppery and clovey yeast, and a hint of medicinal phenols. There may be some herbal hops here, as well, but that may be the fruity esters. That or maybe the fruity esters are herbal hops.

T – It starts off sweet with caramel malt, grapes, and a little bit of wheat. Spicy peppery yeast comes in next along with a good amount of alcohol heat. It finishes with an interesting bitterness consisting of herbal hops and a medicinal quality reminiscent of aspirin. Even with this finish, it doesn’t have a bad taste at all.

F – Medium-bodied with really nice carbonation, a thick and creamy mouthfeel, and a bitter and dry finish. That herbal and aspirin bitterness and astringency lingers, but there’s also a tremendous throat-and-chest-warming sensation from the alcohol.

O – I like this beer. I’m not really sure what a wheatwine is supposed to be, but I can certainly smell the wheat in the aroma and can feel the creaminess in the mouthfeel. Other than that, it has a lot of similarities to a barleywine. Granted, it’s not on the same level as a lot of barleywines, but then again, it’s not a barleywine. I think it’s a nice, drinkable beer especially for the ABV. If I can find them, I’d like to try more wheatwines. (1,547 characters)

appears clear, dark amber in color. no head what-so-ever. very sweet aroma - brown sugar, raisin, some alcohol. taste is also big on the sweet malty flavor. not much wheat. a bit boozey. a little bit of an odd after taste though. thick, syrupy, low carbonation, which works.

overall - definitely rich. surprised this still has this much alcohol heat after 2 years. (394 characters)